Two Fish - Day 93 - Greatest day ever

We awoke to Two Fish tugging strongly on her anchor chain in a 20 knot breeze, but fears of the Raroia anchorage being uncomfortable were put aside by a weather forecast predicting a lightening breeze throughout the day.We scrambled around the boat packing masks, fins, cameras, hats and sun cream.Our ride for the day was a local who was doing the island's first foray into the tourist trade. He currently works in the copra business and pearl farming but was convinced to try this new venture.We had paid in advance so that he could buy gas for his 19 foot wooden motor boat.The boat is spartan and lacks seats but our guide offered a rope for additional safety.All doubts of the need to hold on were shaken out of my body when we bashed into our first set of bone jarring waves.Gail was wincing. read more...

Two Fish - Experimental Tourists by Gail

When you hear "Kon-Tiki", you might have a vague memory of Thor Heyerdahl andhis misguided attempt to prove that the Polynesian peoples are descendants of trade wind travelers from South merica. DNA tests have since proven him wrong. We encountered Thor in Rapa Nui, where he raised the fallen Moas, and elevated himself to rock star status (pun intended), and in Fatu Hiva, where he instead angered the locals, perhaps with his self-importance, and was eventually driven from the island.His raft, propelled only by wind and oars, and launced from the West Coast of South America, eventually ended up on a lee shore in the Tuamotus. The Kon-Tiki crew were less enthusiastic about their arrival here than we were. Having successfully navigated the narrow pass at a less than optimal time, but with. read more...

Two Fish - Day 90 - Mountains to the Atolls

Landfall in the Marquesas was, for us, the beginning of our exploration of exotic islands.The Galapagos had choreographed crowds and Las Perlas had Jet Skis, both of which killed any sense of blazing a new trail.The vivid green palette of the Marquesan hillsides, the exceptionally welcoming people and the dramatic hilltops created a memorable two weeks.Unlike earlier explorers, we chose to explore Nuku Hiva in a manual transmission pick-up truck.After no discussion, I was elected driver, despite not having driven a stick in years.We stopped many times for hikes and "discovered" Tikis and other ruins.On the windward side of the island we stopped in a small village with friendly residents, spending their Sunday body surfing.In the local church, we read the hymn book in Marquesan and. read more...

Two Fish - Day 81 Random Thoughts

How do you provision your boat?A buying spree at the box store or sourcing local food products?Our new French friends have a great ability to save money and eat healthy.They collect their own papaya, mangos, bananas, shrimp, crabs, fish, lobster and hot peppers. (I think some of this is a moral grey area driven by land ownership).Others pick their own fruits and vegetables, but what impressed me with our friends was their purchase of a hen for fresh eggs.The previous time they tried this, while cruising Senegal, the plan failed because they bought a male.However this bird is also not producing eggs due to stress.The bulk of her life has been passage making over 3,000 miles of rolly seas. Tonight while at their boat for drinks we noticed that live crabs were trying to break out of the. read more...

Two Fish - Day 79 Harbor Action

Yesterday, there was a boat approaching our anchorage in distress on the VHF radio.It was a 35 foot Catalina, a boat designed for coastal day sailing and often maligned as a blue water boat.They had left Panama 38 days ago with a Captain and two crew.Fifteen days into the journey, the starboard inner shroud (holds up the mast) parted.There are additional shrouds that secure the mast so the rig did not fall down, but this is a perilous situation for a boat 1,000 miles from land and 2,000 miles from their destination.The crew used lines to secure the broken shroud and kept sailing towards the Marquesas with only a jib.The trip became a blur.The boat traveled at 4 knots and sometimes slower.The crew started forgetting the date and long ago ran out of their favorite provisions.Spirits stayed. read more...